Eating-related guilt and mental health across middle childhood to early adolescence

Tyler B. Mason; Kathryn E. Smith; Christine Naya; Daniel Chu; Genevieve F. Dunton

Journal of Affective Disorders Reports (Dec 2021)

Eating-related guilt and mental health across middle childhood to early adolescence

Tyler B. Mason,
Kathryn E. Smith,
Christine Naya,
Daniel Chu,
Genevieve F. Dunton

Affiliations

Tyler B. Mason: Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Corresponding author at: University of Southern California, 2001 Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA, Tel- (323) 442-8203
Kathryn E. Smith: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Christine Naya: Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Daniel Chu: Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Genevieve F. Dunton: Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6
p. 100221

Abstract

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Background: Limited research exists on the association of eating-related guilt and mental health across middle childhood to early adolescence. Therefore, this study was guided by two aims: (1) to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between eating-related guilt and mental health (i.e., internalizing symptoms and self-esteem) and (2) to examine how executive functioning deficits moderate the cross-sectional association between eating-related guilt and mental health. Methods: Children (N = 202) completed self-report measures of eating-related guilt, internalizing symptoms, and self-esteem across three years in six semi-annual waves. A self-report measure of executive functioning deficits was completed at Wave 6. Results: Eating-related guilt was positively associated with internalizing symptoms cross-sectionally, but there were no prospective associations. There was a significant parallel association between eating-related guilt and internalizing symptoms slopes, suggesting increases in eating-related guilt were positively associated with internalizing symptoms across waves. Eating-related guilt and self-esteem were unrelated. There was an interaction of eating-related guilt and executive functioning deficits in relation to internalizing symptoms and self-esteem such that at high executive functioning deficits, there was a relation between higher eating-related guilt and higher internalizing symptoms and lower self-esteem. Limitations: Constructs were assessed with self-report measures, with eating-related guilt being assessed with an abbreviated measure. For the second aim, only cross-sectional data were available for executive functioning. Conclusions: Eating-related guilt and internalizing symptoms appear to track together across middle childhood and early adolescence; executive functioning deficits may explain risk for negative outcomes for children experiencing eating-related guilt.

Published in Journal of Affective Disorders Reports

ISSN: 2666-9153 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Other systems of medicine: Mental healing
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-affective-disorders-reports

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